The Editor

A quick question to all you lucky new GS 300/430 owners out there. (I hope to soon join you !!) Does the Sat Nav on the New GS allow you to store personal points of interest (apart from possibly a 'Home' location)? If so how many? I would find it useful to store around 50 or so but I'm not sure if this is possible on this system As always, any advice/help always appreciated. Thanks The Ed.

Hi Jason, If it's just the installation software then it should always be available on their website (the most recent version should be). I had a similar problem with an Origin B2 GPS Camera locator I bought. Got it home and the Installation disc was toatally knackered - I mean REALLY knackered !! Totally currupt. Couldn't go back to the store as it was a Sunday and past closing time !! 'B*gger I thought'.... then went to Origins website, onto the downloads page, downloaded the latest installer software and Bob's ya Uncle problem solved !! Have a look on the Navman site..... Hope this helps Cheers The Ed

I have three girls in the household so it's constantly set to 'Industrial Blast Furnace Setting' I have to drive around in my pants!!! Ed

The majority of mapping data is circa 2 years out of date by the time it makes it to DVD for use in Sat Nav systems !! The amount of data that has to be collated and put onto a little plastic disk is vast. When a new version of software comes out it is usually a total new version. Mapping houses don't usually say "Well we'll just do the bits that we think have changed" How do they know whats changed unless they remap the whole country again? That's why it takes so long to get from Map to data to DVD. (There are interim versions of software that appear from time to time and these are usually based on data that people have supplied when they complain to the software house that a road isn't on their map or it's one way and they can't turn down it etc - on the whole these interim versions are corrections) That being said NO sat nav system is perfect and ALL have errors on them (some more than others !!). Basically use it as an aid and not a holy grail of direction. The majority of systems will get you right to the door of your destination but occassionally they will hicc-up. That's life I'm afraid. even with the odd mishap a system will still get you very close to where you should be even if it doesn't take the route you 'were expecting' I use sat nav on a daily basis as well as a GPS based 'saftey camera' locator . I love them both and the first has always got me to where I needed and the second has saved my license more times than I care to remember :D Just my two pennyworth Cheers The Ed

I rest my case guys !! Another one to try is here. I have used them and can recommend them. ONCE I had a short order from them - nothing major just one item left out. I e-mailed and explained. I got an e-mail back within 15 minutes with an apology. No, "Are you sure it's not in the box?" No, "Have you checked all the packaging?" No, " Well we always make sure our orders are double checked before we go out" Just a very curteous reply with an apolgy and assurance that the missing item would be sent out express international post at their expense. Three days later the item turned up as promised with a compliments slip AND two free quality microfiber buffing towels as a 'sorry' !! Now THAT'S customer service and a lesson many UK companies could learn from - but alas of course.... they won't !! The Ed

Hahaha - fair comment Lex-aholic !! No malice meant towards anyone this end just where I choose to shop. Group hug alround !! :D :D :D The Ed.

I have given UK companies a chance !! For over 30 years !! Still no improvement in attitude so why should I give them my money? Sorry - I know I'm probably a minority of one but it's my money and I choose where it's spent !! As soon as I see a different philosophy adopted by UK suppliers I'll be the first at their door ordering and singing their praises !! The Ed

Autopia is still the way to go !! In a lot of cases ordering stuff from the US can still work out cheaper and land on your doormat quicker than sourcing the same products from the UK. (Even if you take into account the carriage charges!!) I have regularly ordered products from Autopia and in 9 out of 10 cases the goods turn up in 3 to 4 days (Damn good considering they are sent from the West Coast !!!). Autopias customer service is second to none (as you would expect from the States) and a UK firm charging £25 quid for re-delivery is daylight robbery (Can you really see people in the States putting up with a $45 re delivery charge? This country has an AWFUL lot to learn about customer service and is around 30-40 years behind the States in this regard. I speak from experience as I make around 4 to 5 trips to the US a year and it never fails to astound me how good their customer care is. US = The Customer is always right and no customers means no business UK = The Customer is a pain in the ar*e and no customers means an easy day !! No - I'm NOT American but I've seen a better way of doing things !! Until I see a change in attitude in companies from this country I'll keep ordering my stuff from the US thank you very much... The Ed.

what about a can of compressed air? - You can blast the moth with O2 at 6,000,000 psi and it will disintergrate into a bazillion pieces !! or................. Call the Moth Undertakers - They will arrive and take away the body for you and leave no mess.

Hi pak, The short answer is NO!! ... This is an inherrent problem with Liquid Crystal Displays. With age they will deteriorate and once the polarising crystals leak from their proper place it gives the effect of 'missing' segments. This situation is usually accelerated if the display is subject to a hostile environment (i.e. the interior of a vehicle on a sunny day!!) or a physical shock etc. I'm afraid the only options are either a replacement unit or... If you can get hold of a secondhand scrap unit (who's display is working) and you have a steady hand and a low wattage soldering iron you may be able to swap over the display itself but there are no guarentees and the heat from the iron may well do damage to the display as you remove it !! Good luck Regards The Editor

You guys are forgetting. Lexus won JD power customer satisfaction survey for the last 200 years so just take your vehicle down to your local dealer and Spiders are covered under the warranty! They should replace the spiders for you!! Ed

Hi guys, I have been agonising over colours (Yes I know it's a very personal thing) for my impending order of a new GS300 and have come up with the following : Silver - No !!!... Nobody beats Mercedes Silver and that's final (I know, I've got one !!) Black - Fantastic colour but I would be living my life with a bucket and sponge in my hand !! Blue - I have a blue car now and want a change Athabasca - Great colour but a little too purple for me possibly And so this leads me to my question... do they do this colour in the UK? (scroll to the last picture on this page and it will show up the colour better) This is a US website and they don't state the colour. Is it the equivalent of 'Boreal Green'over here? I can't tell from the 'colour chooser' as that's useless. Has anyone seen this colour in the flesh as I like it and would like to see it if poss. As always, thanks for anyones help/cmments Kind regards Mark

Hi, Yeah sorry Colin I should have said - Yes the new series 3 GS300. In other parts of the world you can happily pop in a DVD into the ML headunit and as long as you are in 'P' and the brake applied you can watch films - Not so with the European version . It's obviously not a legal thing as the COMAND system in MB's in the UK will play DVD's and they're in the same position on the dash as the Lexus unit so obviously this is a deliberate 'knobble' by Lexus to deny us Brits the enjoyment of watching a film if we're parked up somewhere !!! WHY?????!!!??? Mark

Hi, The GS 300 in most other parts of the world will happily play DVD's (when the car is in Park, stationary etc). The hardware will be identical so it's either disabled on GB vehicles or requires a firmware upgrade.. anyone successfully got DVD play out of a ML head unit this side of the pond? Cheers Mark

Hi Andy, Great looking car !!... I'm just wavering between a Lex or an E-Class and can't make up my mind .. I had the new GS300 on loan for a few hours on Saturday and quite frankly it was stunning !! So at the moment it looks like it will be the Lexus. Have you had any probs/niggles with your new baby? Thanks Mark